I have labs in 2 weeks after a 6 week trial of 75mg Synthroid. My last TSH was 1.70 while the T3 and T4 were in 33% of range. I would like my TSH to be as high as possible in the labs so I can ask for an increased dosage (doctor will not let me continue or increase dose if TSH is below range, which is 0.30). I will of course fast for 12 hours and take the test 24 hours after the last dose. I've heard that exercise can affect T3 but what about TSH?
Thanks.
Exercise affects T3 by using it up. But, nothing uses up TSH, I'm afraid.
I do a fairly hefty amount of excercise as paradoxically it decreases my fatigue, it does not seem to affect my TSH.
Hi. Are you optimally treated? I find that when my dose is not optimal, if I try to exercise, I'm literally in bed for the next few weeks. Once my dose is optimal, nothing can stop me energy wise.I would love to exercise regardless of of how I feel.
I am closer to it now but I was using it to boost energy and stave off fatigue when I definately wasnt, the trouble I found was I HAD to keep it up or I crashed 24 hours later. I assume it was linked to the boost in metabolism associated with a good exercise period as If I did something lighter I did get fatigued as normal.
My vits were also way out which I am fixing so hoping to reach that elusive optimal when I am converting properly.
Test results are all on my bio.
Good 4 you. Thats amazing! I will try that approach. When the post exercise fatigue hits me, I just feel I can't go on the next day. But I'll try to push through and see what happens! Thanks.
Just be aware that when when I said a good exercise period Im talking 500 calories worth! For me I found 40 mins cardio and then weights was right. The bonus was also that I could raise my calorie intake back to a more reasonable level without gaining weight and also building muscle gives a permanent metabolism boost rather than just 24 hours. You will have to raise your calorie intake to compensate, as otherwise it will negatively affect your conversion and actually stop any hope of overcoming fatigue and weight loss you may be trying to achieve. It doesnt work for everyone, but when I posed a similar question previously there were definately others who had a similar positive effect.
Also I find if I wake up/finish work feeling meh.... I have to push myself to do it or I know I will feel even worse the next day, but I have found it worth it and have even managed to start dropping a little weight.
One word of caution from bitter experience, hypo reflex reactions are slower, muscles contract as they should but relax slower - I tore a calf muscle doing step ups as my calf did not relax quickly enough as my knee straightened so slow and steady us the key, my tendons also seem more prone to slight strains so Ive had to try new things carefully and slowly - look up achilles reflex as an old hypo diagnostic tool if interested.
Good luck xx
Thanks for the info. It's good motivation. I'm literally in the middle of some severe fatigue. I was very active only a few weeks ago and now getting up the stairs feels like a chore. I have an endo that listens, so am due for a blood test next week and likely a dose increase. In the meantime, I will try and jump on the treadmill.. . Right in my house.
Thanks again.
TSH moves very slowly, it doesn't just spike and drop day after day. That's one of the reasons we have to wait 6 weeks from dose change to get blood tests done. Exercise affects FT3 mostly, now if you were to be constantly exercising day after day for a long time then maybe the drop of FT3 will have an effect on our TSH, but it's unlikely to do anything in the short term.
Good luck with your blood test!
Totally agree about exercise affecting FT3. From my dose of NDT (1.5 grains) I get 15 hours of a normal day, then I fall asleep. I have no stamina to stay up late even to watch TV. For this reason, if I wake up at 5:00am I have to wait until 6:00am before I take my NDT otherwise my evening will end too early (8:00pm, and that's too early to go to bed). If I spend the day doing heavy duty gardening, same thing, fall asleep early because my T3 is all used up. Now, in the long run TSH will go higher to tell the system to make more or acquire more T3 (via T4) but, as is explained above, that's a long term effect.
You know, you can raise your own dose and get your own blood tests. It's a bit expensive initially but once you know where you are the expense drops off and you don't have to go begging to a doctor. You just need a doc for a prescription and then OK it runs out a bit earlier than they expect, but i don't think they have time to keep track of all that. I am in that situation and my Endo never asks why I run out early. If he did I would tell him that the dose I take makes me feel normal (never say "good" or "great", just say "normal").
Just getting back into what I call serious running again - from what I have read today if I run sensibly at 70 % max HR circulating hormones will increase - if I exercise nearer to flat out T3 will start to fall.
So lots of the steady running for me for now to keep T3 up as high as possible.
That's really fascinating. A good insight into what is going on.
Quite excited really - 3 days of training in a row and speeding up. Having been the best part of a year unable to do very much at all running has never felt so good.
If I get back under 20 minutes for 5k at my age I think I will start a blog page to endorse black cumin seed oil.
I am not sure if anyone here has tracked T3 on an intense training regime so will retest later in January and prove I can maintain T3.
Tyranny of the TSH
Increased Levo = Increased TSH?? 
What usually happens to TSH and T# levels once a person starts taking T3 along with the T4?
Does HRT affect TSH levels?
